Plug valve



O. JACOBSEN PLUG VALVE May 2, 1950 Filed June 24.-, 1944 l mi INVE To 'OYSTEIN JAqOBN,

v BY

ATTORNEYS Patented May 2, 1950 OFFICE PLUG VALVE (l-ystein Jacobsen, MontgomeryiCountyi Y(1hio,.as-

signor, to .The Duriron Company, Inc., Dayton, Ohima corporation of New York Application June-24, 1944;-3S8riarl Nor541-,8158

1j Claim.. (Cl. 25k-93)! The present invention` relates to valves for: centrollingfthe; flowi or fluids: and more: particu l take --tli'e= l form-of 1 4grooveslWhic-:h extend @diameetrally around` the: plug i and Y Ainterconnect with grooves that .extenddongitudinally ofqthe plugl and terminate i in the:l lubricant; reservoir.- Incertain cases grooves arealsoprovidedin` the,`

valvel body to t cooperate` with; the; lubricatingVY effect offered bythe i grooves l in:V therplug,

ln` view Vof-` the -fact l .that a certain amountv of leakage hasfbeen causedbetweerr the-fpl-ug-and its seat wheny vthewvalve-ris being` operated. be, tween its closediandopenrpositions) it hasrbeen proposed :to i provide` a ilubricantrreservoir; in the,-

plugwhich communicates with .theV groovesw and passagevvavs and Vcontains a 1 spring. pressedi pistoni by which` to maintain A rthe-` lubricant under constant pressure and; thus .continuallyftosupplyi lubricantfto ftheseating surface-.of :the valve;

This .reservoin is :usuallycontainedin thefsteinv portion .of the plus,r and is supplied with lubricant.y through -a pressure-gun: oxwother` suitablefmeansi applied-to the@ valve cas-ing. nearv the-flower orf small end -of,the `plug;` Under these,, conditions. the lubricant mustflbe -Aforced through i the. entirelerrgth of "the longitudinal and fdiametral .groovesbeiorefreaching the piston-containing;reservoir:

In :caseftherefis any` used lor; contaminated lubrim cant inlany ofthesagroovesz-this lubricant is causedto collectin ,the ,reservoir to `helater sup-l plied tothe lubricating: system" in" conjunction with -fresh lubricantfwhich -Inagv` have-,been forced intoithe `reservoir during the lubricant changing operation. lubricantimay deleteriously aiecttheiresh lubricant; tendingu to` reduce. its.` lubricating quality` which in turngresults in;V greaterfffrctionziand shorter life of the` plug and/or itszseat.`

The-primary object oitheiinvention is.,to,pro,.

vide 1an-improved valve :andtplugA construction by.

which -resloi and unused lubricant canfloei supplied directly to the pressure. reservo irwithinthe plugfand- .therehp assurak theoreplenishmentraof uncontaminated duhricantto. the;zlubrcatingsysf,

tem including the grooves and passageivays: withinthe. plug and ftheecasingu.;`

Thus the used` or contaminated,

The invention willibe better understood 4when reference is made. tothe following description. readinconnection with the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 represents a vertical sec; tionalview of theimploved valve structure.I Fig.

2is.a,top plan viewshowingthe. general outlineV c-:Sthefexterior parts; Figli` is a fragmentary` erossesectionalview taken along. line 3-,3 in Fg 1 andFig.I irshoivs afragmentary longitudinal4 sectional vievvlof a modified construction Reierringto l, reference character l desig.-

mates-,the side Waller of the main valvecasting which.:I terminates at; each end,` in a coupling;

flange 2 provided with boltsfor securingthervalve between the `separate 4ends oi.V apair of conduits,

throughvhichthe uid 4(liquid) to. be controlled passes. The valve castingvis,provdedwith a, conically shaped opening .which ,extends at right angles tothe openings through the conduits` and,v

isvadapted to rotatably receive the plugrjportion ofi-the valve,

This plug. is Vprovided with a .transversely extending opening., 5; theoarrangement beingrsuch thatvvhen this opening. is in line with the open, ings in the conduit, the valve isin open position The casting. l is. providedwith anintegrally; connectedextension l which formsacompartment orcharnber Sihavingra cleanfout tting 8.v

".ihefplug E` is provided with .a pair ofA oppositely disposed longitudinally extending grooves. at least one of which communicates with the com-A partments., In addition, therefmay be provided acircurnferen-tial .groove laat the top of the plug which -servesto-;inte1fconnect` thelongitudinal grooveswiso thatthe peripheral surface of the, plugisfvvell covered with grooves or passageways. throuahwhich alubricant can be forcedrin the. manner Which'willbe described hereinafter.

Theupper end of the valvercasting` I terminates:

at the -top in a shouldered ilange li, this: flange being-positioned at about the same height as the: upper.. surface, of` the plugA A, gasket of acide prooi material` may be. contained Within the, shouldered recess offthe flangetoprevent leakagv of uidratthejoint.

Arectangularly shaped covert. plata I 3J having, a., shouldered porti on it mayv rest` on the gasket 12a and1 isboltedto the flange. I 4I y at four places. asindicated ati The shoulderY portion i4 has. aheightsomeivhat greater than the distance oi the. recess in theiilange `3 so as to leave anannu-` .iidiiectijv above the upperroostv sur: facei-oflthefflang .and thereby assureealtight,

tightenedi.

Therplug terminatestat. itssuppereod in 4shoule.

3 dered shaft portions I l, I8 the diameter of the shaft portion I'I being considerably less than the diameter of a bore I9 immediately surrounding the shaft so as to leave an annular space indicated at 29. There is a gland member 2| loosely fitted within this annular space and resting on a plurality of layers of packing material 22. This material may be supported on a so-called cage ring 23 which in turn rests on the inner annular portion of the gasket I2. In order to apply pressure to the gland member 2| a clamp plate 24 is provided directly over the gland 2I and having an opening 25 sufticiently large to clear'the shoulder portion I1 of the plug stem.

The plate 24 is provided with a pair of diametrally disposed projections 2S which bear against the upper surface of the gland member.

The clamp plate 24 may be bolted as indicated at 2'I to the plate I3 and on tightening the two bolts the projections 23 force the gasket 2 I' downwardly against the packing material 22 and thus prevent leakage of uid at the edges oi the packlng.

The shaft portions I?, i8 of the plug are provided with an axially extending bore 28 which a is plugged at the top by a bushing 29. The latter has a centrally disposed opening slidably to receive a rod 39 which terminates at the bottom in a piston. 3i and is adapted freely to slide along the bore. The latter extends downwardly to a distance just below the circumferential groove IG and there is an opening 32 extending diametrally across the middle of the plug and communicating at its ends with the groove lli and at its middle position with the lower end of the bore 28.

The rod 33 terminates at the top in a nut 34 which serves to limit the downward movement of the rod. A compression spring 35 surrounds the rod 38 and is positioned between the lower surface of the bushing 29 and the rear face of the piston 34. The function of the spring is continuously to urge the piston 3l downwardly against a lubricant material which is contained in the lower portion of the bore 28. This material is introduced into the centrally disposed reservoir in a manner which will now be described.

The cover plate I3 at one side thereof is provided with a threaded opening 39 for receiving a self-sealing iiuid injection fitting 3l (preferably of the Alemite type) and this bore communicates through a diagonally extending opening 38 with the space contained within the cage ring 2D. There is an opening 33 extending through the portion I'i of the plug stem at a position directly below the cage ring and communicating with the lower end of the bore 28. The lower` portion 4E of the cage ring may be nicked or chipped at a position immediately adjacent the opening 39 so that communication is established through the diagonal opening 38, the cage ring 20 and the opening 39 to that portion of the bore 28 below the piston 3 I.

Thus, when the check valve 4i oi. the iitting 3l is depressed by a lubricant pressure gun, lubricant is forced through the opening 38, cage ring 2D, opening 39 into the lower portion of the bore 28. AAt this point the lubricant can flow in two directions, either upwardly against the piston 3l to elevate the latter against its spring or else through the opening 32, to the circumferential groove i9, thence into the longitudinal grooves 9,

finally reaching the compartment 8.

.In practice the latter is usuallyJlled with so that most of the lubricant injected through the tting 3l forces the piston 3I upwardly.

The rod 30 is caused to be elevated carrying with it the nut 34 which serves as a tell-tale in showing the position of the piston, and therefore giving an indication of the amount of lubricant in the chamber immediately below the piston.

It is apparent that as the lubricant in the grooves 9 and I0 is used up during the angular movement of the plug 5 from the valve-open to valve-closed position and vice versa, additional fresh lubricant is supplied to these groovesY by reason of the pressure applied to the lubricant in bore 28. It will be particularly noted that none of the used lubricant which has already reached the grooves 9 and I9 can nd its way back into the chamber 23 because the piston 3l is continuously acting to force lubricant in a single direction out` of the chamber and there can be no reverse movement of the lubricant. The fresh lubricant which is injected into'the pressure chamber does not travel through either of the grooves 9 and IE! but instead has its own passageway so that it may be admitted directly into the chamber from the fitting 31.

It will be further noted that the lubricant injecting passageway, except for the cage ring 20 and the opening 39, is contained entirely within the cover plate I3 and may therefore be provided by a manufacturing operation which is separate from any operation performed on either the casing i or the plug. By distributing the necessary work` over a number of different parts rather than complicating any one part by intricate machine operations, certain economies are eiected in the production and assembly of the valve. In view of the fact that the cage ring 20 assures an annular space immediately surrounding the stem portion I l, the opening 39 is always in communication with the opening 38 regardless of the angular position of the plug stem.

In Fig. 4, a modied structure is disclosed in which the corresponding parts have been given similar reference characters so that no further explanation of these parts is deemed necessary.

The main diierence between two structures is that in Fig. 4, the cage ring 28 has been eliminated and instead, a cup washer 42 is employed for retaining the packing material 22 in place. This washer is supported on a shoulder 43 formed in the plug 5, this shoulder being of somewhat smaller diameter than the bore I9 formed in the cover plate I3. Thus the underneath sideV of the washer 42 is exposed to the pressure of the lubricant as it is being injected into the fitting 31 and tends to expand so as to assure no leakage past the 'packing material. The operation of the valve structure shown in Fig. 4 is similar to `that explained in connection with Fig. 1 in that fresh lubricant is forced through the cover plate I3 through the opening 38, the opening 39 in the plug stem and into the opening 28 for applying an upward urge to the piston 3|.Y

While the structural arrangement of the apparatus disclosed and described herein constitutes a preferred form of the invention, it is to be understood fthat the apparatus is capableV of alteration without departing from the spirit of the invention, and that all modiiications that fall within the scope of the appended claim are intended to be included herein.

*Having* thus vdescribed my invention, what I claimas new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: Y

In combination, a valve vbody for L'forltrolling the flow o1' uid, said body being provided with a main passageway and an angularly positioned bore communicating therewith, a plug within said bore adapted to rotate, said plug being provided with a plug stem of smaller size than the plug, a cover for said valve body surrounding said stem and having an opening considerably larger than the stem so as to leave an annular space and a gland for applying pressure to the packing material, means for lubricating the valve seat, said means including a reservoir centrally disposed within the plug stem and means for filling said reservoir with lubricant, said means including an opening which extends inwardly from the edge of said cover and then under the packing material and thence through the plug stem into the reservoir, and means for supporting the packing material away from said opening but permitting unobstructed access to the lubricant passing through said openingl into the reservoir, said last mentioned means comprising a REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,940,378 Sutliff Dec. 19, 1933 2,021,358 Greenwood Nov. 19, 1935 2,065,726 Nordstrom Dec. 29, 1936 2,299,517 Volpin Oct. 20, 1942 2,332,282 Volpin Oct. 19, 1943 

